Saturday, December 24, 2016

Oil-rich Canada is
expecting a boost in prosperity should U.S. President-elect Donald Trump follow
through with his apparent endorsement of the stalled Keystone XL pipeline.

That’s the
controversial multi-billion-dollar proposal by TransCanada to move crude to
U.S. Gulf Coast refineries from Alberta’s oil sands.

After years of
delays, debates and protests by environmentalists, President Barack Obama last
year rejected the plan, saying the pipeline “would not serve the national
interests of the United States.”

Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau has revealed that he has spoken by phone with Trump about the
possibility of reviving the pipeline project.

“He actually
brought up Keystone XL and indicated that he was very supportive of it and
hoping that were going to be able to work together,” Trudeau said.

The project was
touted as being the catalyst to create thousands of jobs in Canada and the U.S.

Trudeau said his
Liberal government’s recent approval of two pipeline projects – the Kinder
Morgan expansion to British Columbia and Line 3 through Saskatchewan and
Manitoba – will create more than 20,000 jobs and expand the markets where
Canadian oil will be sold.

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Two Canadian
provinces are developing a plan to provide its poorest residents with a basic
income from the government.

Ontario is looking
to launch its program – the first of its kind considered in North America in
decades – next spring to provide a guaranteed annual income for people and
families in need.

Now Prince Edward
Island’s legislature has unanimously approved developing a similar pilot
project with the federal government.

It was felt that
such a plan would help families build their way back while reducing government
bureaucracy.

Ontario named
former senator Hugh Segal to study the options in a $25-million test project
that could involve paying people $1,320 a month in place of welfare and Ontario
Disability Support Program payments.

The PEI bill, introduced
by Green Party Leader Peter Bevan-Baker, was supported by the Liberal
government and opposition parties.

Friday, December 9, 2016

Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau’s comments that former Cuban president Fidel Castro was a
“legendary revolutionary and orator,” have been widely condemned.

Trudeau recently returned
from a diplomatic visit to Cuba and was commenting on the death of Castro by
expressing his “deep sorrow.”

While being a
“controversial figure,” Trudeau said he is remembered as a “larger-than-life
leader” who made significant improvements to Cuba’s education and health-care
systems.

He referred to his
father, the late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, as having a close relationship
and was “very proud to call him (Castro) a friend.”

Criticism even came
from Marco Rubio, the Cuban-American senator for Florida, who asked on Twitter,
“Is this a real statement or a parody? Because if this is a real statement from
the PM of Canada, it is shameful (and) embarrassing.”

Conservative
leadership candidate Lisa Raitt said Trudeau should be ashamed for the remarks
that have “placed himself on the wrong side of history – against the millions
of Cubans yearning for freedom.”

The Cuban dictator
was a pallbearer at Pierre Trudeau’s funeral in 2000 along with former U.S.
President Jimmy Carter.